Israel, much like the fortress of Tel-Chai that Jospeh Trumpeldor fought to defend against Arab conquerors in 1920, finds itself beseiged by enemies both within and without. Terrorists, would-be friends inside and outside Israel, and even bad government officials. Here are the discussions of one proud Zionist resident on the state of the nation and abroad.

An Egyptian Olympic judoka was booed by a Rio audience when he refused to shake hands with his Israeli rival after losing a first-round match on Friday.

As per the rules of the sport, after Israel’s Ori Sasson beat Egypt’s Islam El Shehaby, Sasson approached the Egyptian to shake his hand before walking off the mat. El Shehaby then immediately turned away from Sasson’s outstretched arm, rebuffing his friendly gesture. In video footage of the incident, the crowd is heard booing loudly at El Shehaby’s unsportsmanlike conduct.

One BBC reporter commenting live during the match called El Shehaby’s action “very disappointing,” adding, “this is not what the Olympics is about.” A second BBC commentator said, “If you’re an outsider coming in, having a look, the rules of our sport dictate absolute respect for the opponent.”

El Shehaby’s snub prompted an almost immediate outcry on social media.

Ofir Gendelman, the Arab media spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took to Twitter to congratulate Sasson and rebuke his rival. The Olympics is “not an arena for politics and extremism,” he said.

The man was quite a sore loser in more than a few ways, just because the guy defeated him. He only demonstrates why in the end, countries like his will only lose respect in the end.

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About me

I'm Avi Green

From Jerusalem, Israel

I was born in Pennsylvania in 1974, and moved to Israel in 1983. I also enjoyed reading a lot of comics when I was young, the first being Fantastic Four. I maintain a strong belief in the public's right to knowledge and accuracy in facts. I like to think of myself as a conservative-style version of Clark Kent. I don't expect to be perfect at the job, but I do my best.